Academic topics
W: OK, let’s see where we are on this project for geography class. Our presentation’s in two days, and I hope we’re almost ready.
M: I hope so, too. We were each going to look up information about a different lake – with an emphasis on how each lake was formed – and we’ll each present information on that lake to the, to the class. My job was to look up information on Lake Superior, and I’ve done that.
W: I’ve done my research on the Caspian Sea.
W: And I’m ready with information about Lake Baikal.
W: Great. I’ll go first. I’ll be discussing the Caspian Sea, which is the largest inland body of water in the world. The Caspian Sea is a saltwater lake between Europe and Asia. It is believed that this lake was originally connected to the world’s oceans, which would account for its saltwater content. As the earth’s plates moved, this arm of the ocean was cut off.
M: Well, here’s what I found on Lake Superior. Lake Superior is, of course, one of the Great Lakes in North America, and it’s the largest freshwater lake in the world. Along with the other Great Lakes, it was formed by glaciers. Glaciers covered the northern part of North America until 10,000 years ago and were responsible for carving out the Great Lakes, including Lake Superior.
W: OK, now for Lake Baikal, which is the lake I’ll be discussing. Lake Baikal’s in Russia, and it was formed when the earth’s crust broke apart at a fault. Because Lake Baikal formed over a split in the earth’s crust, it’s a very deep lake, the deepest lake in the world. Lake Baikal’s so deep that, even though its surface area is much smaller than the surface area of Lake Superior, it could hold the water of all the Great Lakes combined.
M: Well, it looks like we’ve all found information about each of these lakes, and, in particular, how they were formed. Now we need to talk about how we can present the information the rest of the class.
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What are the students discussing?
(A)Various ways that major lakes formed
(B)The world’s largest body of water
(C)Where various lakes are located
(D)Lakes that formed in the same way
Why are the students discussing this material?
(A)They have just seen a presentation about it.
(B)They are preparing for an exam on it.
(C)They must present it to their classmates.
(D)They are writing a research paper.
Listen to a discussion in a physiology class.
P: Now we’re going to review the information on various types of fractures, or broken bones. Yesterday, we talked about three types of fractures. Do you remember what they were? Clair?
C: They were simple, compound, and, ah, greenstick factures.
P: Yes, exactly. Now, can you tell me how a simple fracture and a compound fracture differ? Are they different because of the number of fractures? Dave?
D: No, the difference between a simple and a compound fracture refers to how much damage there is to the tissue around the broken bone rather than the number of breaks in the bone. In a simple fracture, the bone is broken, but there’s little damage to the tissue around the, um, around the bone. In a compound fracture, the bone is broken and there’s a lot of damage to the tissue around the broken bone.
P: So, how much tissue damage is there in a compound fracture? Gail.
G: A lot. In a compound fracture, the broken bone actually comes through the skin.
P: So, when we talk about the difference between a simple and a compound fracture, this doesn’t refer to the number of breaks in a bone; instead, it refers to the amount of tissue damage. How do we refer to the number of breaks in a bone? Clair?
C: To talk about the number of breaks in a bone, we talk about a, a single, a double, or a multiple break. A single fracture means one break, a double fracture means two breaks, and the, uh, a multiple fracture means more than two breaks.
P: OK, I hope this distinction’s clear, that we talk about single, double, and multiple fractures to refer to the number of fractures and simple and compound fractures to refer to how much tissue damage there is around the break. Now, we have just one more type of fracture to discuss, and that’s the greenstick fracture. Dave can you tell me who generally suffers from greenstick fractures?
D: Greenstick fractures are usually found in children.
P: That’s true. And what is a greenstick fracture? Gail?
G: A greenstick fracture means that the bone bends and maybe it breaks part of the way, but it doesn’t break all the way through. The name “greenstick” refers to a young green plant that might bend instead of breaking.
P: So, is a greenstick fracture a very serious fracture? Clair?
C: No, a greenstick fracture’s usually the least serious type of fracture because the bone isn’t broken all the way through. The compound fracture, where the broken bone comes through the skin, is the
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most serious type of fracture.
What does each type of fracture describe?
| Describes the amount of damage | Describe the number of breaks | Describe neither | |
| Simple fracture | |||
| Single fracture | |||
| Compound fracture | |||
| Double fracture | |||
| Multiple fracture | |||
| Greenstick fracture |
How can each type of fracture be described?
| Partial fracture | Complete fracture with no broken skin | Complete fracture with broken skin | |
| Simple fracture | |||
| Compound fracture | |||
| Greenstick fracture |
How many breaks does each type of fracture have?
| One break | Two breaks | Numerous breaks | |
| Single fracture | |||
| Double fracture | |||
| Multiple fracture |
How serious each type of fracture?
| Less serious | Serious | More serious | |
| Simple fracture | |||
| Compound fracture | |||
| Greenstick fracture |
Listen to a discussion in an astronomy class.
P: Today we’ll be discussing the planet Venus, which is the second planet in our solar system. I’m sure you all know which planet is the third planet in our solar system. Yes, Beth?
B: Is Earth the third planet?
P: You don’t sound too sure of your answer, Beth…, but, yes, that’s true. Venus is the second planet in our solar system, and Earth is the third. Venus is almost the same size as our Earth, which is the fifth largest planet in, ah, the solar system. The planet Venus is easily visible in the sky from Earth, although not always as a complete sphere. It goes through some phases, just like the Moon. Sometimes it’s fully visible, like a full moon, sometimes it’s half
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visible, and sometimes it’s only a small crescent. When do you think Venus is the brightest, when it’s fully visible or when it’s a crescent? Mark?
M: Well, it makes sense that it would be the brightest when it’s fully visible.
P: Well, things aren’t always as they seem. Try again.
M: You mean, Venus is actually brighter when it’s only a small crescent than when it’s fully visible?
P: That’s exactly what I mean… Now, does anyone know if Venus is a hot or cold planet?... What would you expect since Venus is closer to the Sun than our planet is?
B: Since it’s so close to the Sun, I think it would be very hot.
P: And it is. The temperature there can reach almost to 500 degrees centigrade. What is this in Fahrenheit? … Anyone? ... Come on, we’ve talked about this before.
M: I think that’s around 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
P: Yes, it is. Now, we’ve said that the temperature there is hot because Venus is so close to the Sun. But that’s not the only reason that Venus is so hot. It’s also hot for another reason. Does anyone know? Could it be the atmosphere? What is its atmosphere made of? Beth?
B: It’s atmosphere’s almost entirely carbon dioxide.
P: Yes, that’s right, Beth, and this type of atmosphere holds in the heat from the Sun extremely well… Now, let’s talk about the clouds that cover Venus. As you know, Venus is visible to us on Earth, but it’s not actually the planet that we see; it’s the clouds. The surface of Venus can’t be seen, even with a telescope, because of the clouds that surround the planet. What can you tell me about the clouds that cover Venus?
M: Uh… the clouds around Venus?
P: Yes, I’m asking about the clouds around Venus. I want to know about the clouds around Venus.
M: Do you want to know what they’re made of? They’re made of carbon dioxide. No… wait a minute. The atmosphere’s made of carbon dioxide… The clouds are made of sulfuric acid.
P: That’s right. The clouds on Venus are actually made of sulfuric acid. These clouds help to contribute to the brightness of Venus in our sky. When Venus appears to shine so brightly, it’s because the light of the Sun is reflecting off Venus’s clouds of sulfuric acid.
Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
(A)She wants to show that the answer is not correct.
(B)She would prefer an answer from a different student.
(C)She wants the student to change her answer.
(D)She would prefer a more definite response.
Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
(A)The student should try to be more logical.
(B)The student should explain his answer further.
(C)The student’s answer is not correct.
(D)The student should listen more carefully.
Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
(A)The students should know the answer.
(B)She is preparing to review something from a previous lesson.
(C)There is no need to discuss this now.
(D)She is in a hurry to finish the lecture.
Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
(A)To indicate that she is not sure of the answer.
(B)To suggest an answer to a question that she just asked.
(C)To propose an alternate explanation to one just presented
(D)To encourage the students to explain why her suggestion is not accurate.
Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
(A)To show that she wants more information
(B)To change the question that she wants answered
(C)To call on a different student for an answer
(D)To correct something that she just said.
Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
(A)He needs more time to think of the answer.
(B)He wants the professor to call on someone else.
(C)He thinks he answered too quickly.
(D)He wants to change his answer.
